Meet Brina (Beth)

April 16, 2014

I love this dish, not only because it's easy and delicious, but it's also so dang pretty. I love all the bright colors from the carrots, kale, curry, and turmeric. The flavors are a bit sweet, a bit sour and a little bit spicy, and it's a great side dish for chicken or fish.

This one is SED friendly, and now it's also Kosher for Passover friendly! Alex and I love it, and I've made this about 6 times in the past few months. As long as you have the quinoa pre-cooked and ready to go, it will take about 15 minutes to throw it all together. Normally, it calls for almonds, but I was all out, so I used cashews. They got a little too soft and lost their crunch, so stick with almonds when you make this. And you should make this! Look how pretty it is!

Heat a large over medium heat. Add olive oil, then add the chopped
onions. Sauté onions
for 4 to 5 minutes. Then add the sliced carrots and sauté for about 10 minutes
more. Keep the heat at a medium temp to allow the onions to cook but not brown.

Add the almonds, raisins, spices, and salt and sauté 5 minutes more. Add the kale. Sauté about 5 minutes, or until kale is
tender. Then add cooked quinoa and stir together over low heat. Add a
few tablespoons of water if the pilaf seems dry. An extra tablespoon of oil will
also help prevent the quinoa from sticking to the pan.

Remove
from heat and add the juice of the lemon. Stir together, taste, and adjust salt
and seasonings if needed.